No. 38

STATE OF MICHIGAN

Journal of the Senate

103rd Legislature

REGULAR SESSION OF 2025

Senate Chamber, Lansing, Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

10:00 a.m.

The Senate was called to order by the President pro tempore, Senator Jeremy Moss.

The roll was called by the Secretary of the Senate, who announced that a quorum was present.

Albert—present Hauck—present Moss—present

Anthony—present Hertel—present Nesbitt—present

Bayer—present Hoitenga—present Outman—present

Bellino—present Huizenga—present Polehanki—present

Brinks—present Irwin—present Runestad—excused

Bumstead—present Johnson—excused Santana—present

Camilleri—present Klinefelt—present Shink—present

Cavanagh—present Lauwers—present Singh—present

Chang—present Lindsey—present Theis—present

Cherry—present McBroom—excused Victory—present

Daley—present McCann—present Webber—present

Damoose—present McMorrow—excused Wojno—present

Geiss—present

Senator Paul Wojno of the 10th District offered the following invocation:

Dear Father, we humbly pray that we may always remember Your generosity and faithfulness for entrusting us with such a high level of legislative power. Help us to act in the best interest for the citizens in the state of Michigan. Bless our efforts with clear insight, our deliberations with wisdom, our work with clarity and accuracy, and respect for one another. Amen.

The President pro tempore, Senator Moss, led the members of the Senate in recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Motions and Communications

Senator Lauwers moved that Senator Bellino be temporarily excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

Senator Lauwers moved that Senators McBroom, Johnson and Runestad be excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

Senator Singh moved that Senators Brinks, Cavanagh, Cherry, Geiss, Hertel and Santana be temporarily excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

Senator Singh moved that Senator McMorrow be excused from today’s session.

The motion prevailed.

Senator Brinks entered the Senate Chamber.

Senator Singh moved that rule 3.902 be suspended to allow the guests of Senators Chang and Damoose admittance to the Senate floor.

The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Recess

Senator Singh moved that the Senate recess subject to the call of the Chair.

The motion prevailed, the time being 10:03 a.m.

10:14 a.m.

The Senate was called to order by the President pro tempore, Senator Moss.

During the recess, Senators Cavanagh, Cherry, Santana, Hertel and Bellino entered the Senate Chamber.

Senator Nesbitt asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.

The motion prevailed.

Senator Nesbitt’s statement is as follows:

I have a special presentation to give to a good friend of all of ours and a longtime veteran of the Senate, Dave Biswas. Thank you for your service. Dave has worked in this chamber for 19 years, serving in a variety of roles in member offices, and most recently as part of our Republican central staff. His time in the Legislature stretches even further back, having started in the House for a few years before that, where he will be returning shortly. Our loss is certainly the House’s gain.

Dave is tireless, dedicated to his colleagues—and the word “tireless” doesn’t fully do him justice. Dave always is on call, always ready to engage, always eager to lend a helping hand to whoever needs it; and yet, apparently he still needs an outlet for all of his extra high energy, so he somehow finds time to run a local bar and a local restaurant. As a new dad, I would pay a steep price—a new dad, again—I would pay a steep price to find that energy, and if you could bottle that up, whatever it is that gives him that kind of energy, please share it with me. I’d appreciate that.

I’m the sixth Senate member that Dave has worked for during his long tenure in this chamber, including two caucus leaders and a floor leader. When I was floor leader in the House, he was working for the floor leader here. We always had a good relationship and always appreciated the work he did with Senator Mike Kowall. Dave oversaw the daily agenda with an incredibly high level of detail, organization, and, of course, energy. I’m sure the current and former floor leaders can understand the importance of that role and what’s needed to be done to make the floor run well.

His colleagues here will miss his energy, as well as his daily check-ins to their offices to see how he could help or just to see how they’re doing in the morning. While we’re sad to see Dave go, we’re happy he’ll just be a few yards away over in the House.

Please join me in congratulating Dave Biswas and thanking him for his nearly two decades of service to this chamber. Thank you and God bless.

Senator Geiss entered the Senate Chamber.

Recess

Senator Singh moved that the Senate recess subject to the call of the Chair.

The motion prevailed, the time being 10:18 a.m.

10:24 a.m.

The Senate was called to order by the President pro tempore, Senator Moss.

By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of

Introduction and Referral of Bills

Senators Hauck and Huizenga introduced

Senate Bill No. 272, entitled

A bill to amend 1978 PA 59, entitled “Condominium act,” by amending section 67 (MCL 559.167), as amended by 2016 PA 233.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Housing and Human Services.

Senators Daley, Cherry, Shink, Lauwers, Chang, Polehanki, Singh, Victory, Runestad, Nesbitt, Webber, Johnson, Outman and Bumstead introduced

Senate Bill No. 273, entitled

A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled “Natural resources and environmental protection act,” by amending section 8715 (MCL 324.8715), as amended by 2021 PA 123.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture.

Senator McCann introduced

Senate Bill No. 274, entitled

A bill to amend 2001 PA 142, entitled “Michigan memorial highway act,” (MCL 250.1001 to 250.2092) by adding section 111.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Veterans and Emergency Services.

Senator Bellino introduced

Senate Bill No. 275, entitled

A bill to prohibit municipalities from imposing a ban on the use of natural gas or the installation of natural gas infrastructure; to provide for the powers and duties of certain local governmental officers and entities; and to provide that certain local ordinances, resolutions, or policies are void and unenforceable.

The bill was read a first and second time by title and referred to the Committee on Local Government.

By unanimous consent the Senate returned to the order of

General Orders

Senator Singh moved that the Senate resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole for consideration of the General Orders calendar.

The motion prevailed, and the President pro tempore, Senator Moss, designated Senator Daley as Chairperson.

After some time spent therein, the Committee arose; and the President pro tempore, Senator Moss, having resumed the Chair, the Committee reported back to the Senate, favorably and without amendment, the following bills:

Senate Bill No. 240, entitled

A bill to amend 1954 PA 116, entitled “Michigan election law,” by amending sections 362 and 370 (MCL 168.362 and 168.370), section 362 as amended by 1980 PA 112 and section 370 as amended by 2022 PA 104.

Senate Bill No. 241, entitled

A bill to amend 1909 PA 278, entitled “The home rule village act,” (MCL 78.1 to 78.28) by adding section 24e.

Senate Bill No. 242, entitled

A bill to amend 1895 PA 3, entitled “The general law village act,” by amending sections 4, 5, and 13 of chapter II and section 3 of chapter V (MCL 62.4, 62.5, 62.13, and 65.3), sections 4 and 5 of chapter II and section 3 of chapter V as amended by 2012 PA 551 and section 13 of chapter II as amended by 2003 PA 305.

Senate Bill No. 243, entitled

A bill to amend 1909 PA 279, entitled “The home rule city act,” (MCL 117.1 to 117.38) by adding section 3c.

The bills were placed on the order of Third Reading of Bills.

By unanimous consent the Senate proceeded to the order of

Resolutions

Senator Singh moved that rule 3.204 be suspended to permit immediate consideration of the following resolution:

Senate Resolution No. 38

The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

Senators Geiss and Shink offered the following resolution:

Senate Resolution No. 37.

A resolution to urge the President of the United States and the United States Congress to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act and expand the program to include other sub-Saharan African countries.

Whereas, The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) was enacted in May 2000 to provide eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the United States market for certain products. The program covers over 1,800 products beyond those eligible for duty-free access under the Generalized System of Preferences, a broader U.S. trade preference program. To become and remain eligible for duty-free access, countries must establish or make continual progress toward establishing a market-based economy, the rule of law, political pluralism, and the right to due process. Eligible countries must also eliminate barriers to trade and investment with the United States and enact policies to reduce poverty, combat corruption, and protect human rights; and

Whereas, A total of 49 countries are potentially eligible for the AGOA trade preferences, but the number of beneficiaries varies over time, as the President of the United States reviews each country’s eligibility on an annual basis. The first designation of eligible countries was made on October 2, 2000, by President Bill Clinton, and between 2001 and 2024, the number of eligible countries has ranged from 31 to 41. In 2024, there were 32 AGOA-eligible countries; and

Whereas, The AGOA has been amended multiple times to clarify preferential treatment terms, to modify technical standards, and, critically, to extend sunset provisions. The program had an initial expiration date of September 2008, but President George W. Bush signed the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004 to extend the program’s operation through September 2015. In June 2015, President Barack Obama signed the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015, thereby extending the AGOA’s validity to its current sunset date of September 2025; and

Whereas, The United States continues to import significant quantities of goods from AGOA-eligible countries. Total AGOA imports were valued at 9.3 billion dollars in 2023 and 8.0 billion dollars in 2024. Crude oil accounted for a quarter of these imports in 2024, with Nigeria alone supplying 1.6 billion dollars in crude oil to the United States. Major categories of non-energy imports included passenger vehicles, apparel, agricultural and food products, base metals, and chemicals. South Africa remains our largest source of AGOA imports, excluding crude oil; and

Whereas, The state of Michigan engaged in over a billion dollars’ worth of two-way trade with AGOA-eligible countries in 2024. Our state imported nearly 440 million dollars in goods from the 32 AGOA-eligible nations in 2024, and we exported over 566 million dollars’ worth of goods to those countries. Michigan can and should continue to take advantage of the economic growth promoted by the AGOA and create a two‑way pipeline of investment between our state and sub-Saharan Africa; and

Whereas, The United States should renew the AGOA program and expand it to include other sub-Saharan countries. The AGOA has been a central pillar of our nation’s trade and relations with sub-Saharan Africa for decades, and we should continue to use this program to foster development in the region while simultaneously promoting U.S. interests. Expanding the AGOA to include additional countries could also help Michigan businesses by encouraging these nations to reform their economic and commercial regimes, leading to stronger markets and more effective trading partners for the state of Michigan; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the President of the United States and the United States Congress to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act and expand the program to include other sub-Saharan African countries; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.

Pending the order that, under rule 3.204, the resolution be referred to the Committee on Government Operations,

Senator Singh moved that the rule be suspended.

The motion prevailed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor.

The question being on the adoption of the resolution,

Senator Singh moved that further consideration of the resolution be postponed for today.

The motion prevailed.

Senator Polehanki was named co-sponsor of the resolution.

Senators Damoose and Chang offered the following resolution:

Senate Resolution No. 38.

A resolution to commemorate April 20-26, 2025, as Black April Memorial Week.

Whereas, April 30, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and the start of the eventual exodus of several million Vietnamese out of Vietnam after South Vietnam’s capital of Saigon fell to the communists on April 30, 1975; and

Whereas, For many Vietnam and Vietnam-era veterans who were directly involved in the war, and Vietnamese Americans who have settled in the United States (U.S.), the Vietnam War was a tragedy full of great suffering and the loss of American, Vietnamese, and Southeast Asian lives; and

Whereas, Over 58,000 people were killed and 304,000 were wounded out of the 2.59 million Americans who served in the Vietnam War. One out of every ten Americans who served in Vietnam became a casualty of war; and

Whereas, South Vietnamese armed forces lost 275,000 soldiers and many more were wounded, along with an unknown number of Vietnamese civilian casualties; and

Whereas, During the American evacuation of Saigon, the first wave of 135,000 Vietnamese who were mostly military officers and their families, took temporary shelter through several international refugee camps at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California, Fort Chaffee in Arkansas, and Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania; and

Whereas, Starting in 1977 and lasting through the mid-1980s, a second wave of Vietnamese refugees comprised mostly of “boat people” began leaving Vietnam. Seeing no future under communism, nearly 800,000 boat people risked their lives in small, dangerous boats to travel to resettlement camps in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines before eventually resettling in America. The Red Cross estimated that during that time, at least 300,000 Vietnamese died on the high seas while trying to escape communism; and

Whereas, After 1985, a third wave of Vietnamese refugees came to the U.S. under the Orderly Departure Program; and

Whereas, In 1988, Congress passed the Operation Homecoming Act, a program allowing approximately 80,000 Amerasian children (offspring of GI fathers and Vietnamese mothers) to come to America; and

Whereas, By 1990, the fourth wave of Vietnamese refugees began arriving in the U.S. under the Humanitarian Operation, and today, more than 1.7 million Vietnamese immigrants reside in our country; and

Whereas, Census data shows that foreign-born Vietnamese entering the U.S. in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s have seen an increase in English proficiency, proportion of college graduates, the number of owner-occupied housing, family median income, and naturalization; and

Whereas, Over the years, Vietnamese immigrants have overcome social, economic, and language barriers of unforeseen magnitude to grow and become the most assimilated along civic dimensions out of any large group in America; and

Whereas, Through emphasis on intense study, Vietnamese Americans have reached the pinnacles of American success in a variety of fields including business and entrepreneurship, science and technology, space travel, medicine, the U.S. government, politics, military, professional sports, and, most recently, cultural icon status in cooking, modeling, acting, and comedy; and

Whereas, In order to serve their community and prosper in America, Vietnamese Americans formed well-established and thriving commercial districts throughout the U.S., including an enclave in southeast Oakland County and in west Michigan; and

Whereas, More than 25,276 Vietnamese live in Michigan; and

Whereas, We must teach our children and future generations the important lessons from the Vietnam War, including how the plight of the Vietnamese refugees following the end of war is a powerful example of the values of freedom and democracy; and

Whereas, Refugees and immigrants from the former Republic of Vietnam, who came to the U.S. and settled as free Vietnamese Americans, are honored and remembered for their sacrifices of freedom, human rights, and for their ongoing contributions to our democratic society; and

Whereas, The Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom flag, which is yellow with three horizontal red stripes, is the only symbol that can unite most Vietnamese around the world and bring them together, showing the aspiration for freedom and democracy in their homeland; and

Whereas, Although united in sorrow as they commemorate April 30, 2025, as Black April, an occasion to reflect on the sacrifices of the past, Vietnamese American communities throughout Michigan consider Black April a memorial and remembrance of the resilience of the Vietnamese people; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate, That the members of this legislative body commemorate April 20-26, 2025, as Black April Memorial Week. We recognize this special time for Michiganians to honor the tragedy of the suffering and countless lives lost during the Vietnam War era, while also paying tribute to those lives lost by human rights and freedom to the people of Vietnam.

The question being on the adoption of the resolution,

The resolution was adopted.

Senator Geiss was named co-sponsor of the resolution.

Senators Damoose and Chang asked and were granted unanimous consent to make statements and moved that the statements be printed in the Journal.

The motion prevailed.

Senator Damoose’s statement, in which Senator Chang concurred, is as follows:

It’s hard to imagine that it has now been 50 years since the very bitter end of the Vietnam War. For those of us who grew up in its shadow, the Vietnam War was an event that shaped us in so many ways. One in ten Americans who served in Vietnam became a casualty of that war. Many of us are missing friends and relatives who should still have been here were it not for their sacrifice. The Vietnam War changed our relationship with government and made many question what America’s role in the world should be. New generations engaged in the political process with new tools, a new sense of activism, and in many cases a new sense of skepticism. Sadly, those soldiers who came home often received far less than the heroes welcome they deserved.

For all that changed from the American side, the impact on millions of Vietnamese people was even more profound. As their country was taken over by communist forces from the north, untold suffering came upon the Vietnamese who had fought hand-in-hand with the Americans to preserve freedom in their land. As Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese captors on April 30, 1975—50 years ago today—chaos and fear gripped the region. The South Vietnamese government collapsed, and millions watched as American forces retreated and the city burned with violence. Many people joining us now in this very chamber were there that fateful day, which marked the beginning of years of abuse and hardship that left its mark on their families and millions more in the coming decades.

During the American evacuation of Saigon, the first wave of 135,000 Vietnamese, who were mostly military officers and their families, took temporary shelter through several international refugee camps: Camp Pendleton in California, Fort Chaffee in Arkansas, and Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania. Starting in 1977 and lasting through the mid-1980s, a second wave of Vietnamese refugees, comprised of mostly so‑called Boat People, began leaving Vietnam. Seeing no future under communism, nearly 800,000 risked their lives in small, dangerous boats to travel to resettlement camps in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines before eventually resettling in the United States. The Red Cross estimated that at least 300,000 Vietnamese died on the high seas while trying to escape communism. Some who survived that journey are also here with us today in the gallery.

After 1985, a third wave of Vietnamese refugees came to the United States under the Orderly Departure Program. And in 1988, Congress passed the Operation Homecoming Act, a program allowing approximately 80,000 offspring of GI fathers and Vietnamese mothers to come to America. By 1990, the fourth wave of Vietnamese refugees began arriving on our shores under the Humanitarian Operation. Today, more than 1.7 million of these Vietnamese immigrants reside in the United States where they have embraced and in many ways defined the American Dream.

Today, with this resolution, we commemorate April 30, 2025, as Black April, an occasion to reflect on the sacrifices of the past and also to celebrate Vietnamese American communities throughout Michigan, who consider Black April both a memorial and a remembrance of the resilience of the Vietnamese people.

Senator Chang’s statement, in which Senator Damoose concurred, is as follows:

Today, we’re really honored to have a number of guests with us from the Vietnamese American Association of Michigan, whose stories are reflected in my colleague’s speech commemorating the importance of our defense of democracy and our communities. I’m just really grateful for so many in the Vietnamese American community who have joined us at the Capitol today.

Announcements of Printing and Enrollment

The Secretary announced that the following bills were printed and filed on Tuesday, April 29, and are available on the Michigan Legislature website:

Senate Bill Nos. 265 266 267 268 269 270 271

House Bill Nos. 4396 4397 4398 4399 4400 4401 4402 4403 4404 4405 4406 4407 4408 4409

Committee Reports

The Committee on Education reported

Senate Bill No. 234, entitled

A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled “The revised school code,” (MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1304.

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Dayna Polehanki

Chairperson

To Report Out:

Yeas: Senators Polehanki, Geiss, Chang, Camilleri, Irwin, Damoose and Johnson

Nays: None

The bill and the substitute recommended by the committee were referred to the Committee of the Whole.

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The Committee on Education submitted the following:

Meeting held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 1:30 p.m., Room 1100, Binsfeld Office Building

Present: Senators Polehanki (C), Geiss, Chang, Camilleri, Irwin, Damoose and Johnson

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The Appropriations Subcommittee on EGLE submitted the following:

Meeting held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., Room 1200, Binsfeld Office Building

Present: Senators Irwin (C), Singh, Shink, Cherry, Bayer, Bumstead, Hauck and Outman

COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE REPORT

The Appropriations Subcommittee on PreK-12 submitted the following:

Meeting held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 12:00 noon, Harry T. Gast Appropriations Room, 3rd Floor, Capitol Building

Present: Senators Camilleri (C), Polehanki, Hertel, Klinefelt, Cavanagh, Bayer and Albert

Excused: Senator Theis

Scheduled Meetings

Appropriations –

Subcommittees –

DHHS – Thursday, May 1, 2:00 p.m., Harry T. Gast Appropriations Room, 3rd Floor, Capitol Building (517) 373‑2768

LEO/MEDC – Thursday, May 1, 1:00 p.m., Room 1300, Binsfeld Office Building (517) 373-2768

MILEAP – Thursday, May 1, 8:30 a.m., Room 403, 4th Floor, Capitol Building (517) 373‑2768

Transportation – Thursday, May 1, 12:00 noon, Room 1300, Binsfeld Office Building (517) 373‑2768

Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety – Thursday, May 1, 12:00 noon, Room 1200, Binsfeld Office Building (517) 373‑5312

Economic and Community Development – Thursday, May 1, 12:00 noon, Room 1100, Binsfeld Office Building (517) 373‑1721 (CANCELLED)

Labor – Thursday, May 1, 8:30 a.m., Room 1300, Binsfeld Office Building (517) 373-5314

Senator Singh moved that the Senate adjourn.

The motion prevailed, the time being 10:39 a.m.

The President pro tempore, Senator Moss, declared the Senate adjourned until Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

DANIEL OBERLIN

Secretary of the Senate